With increasing development of science and technology, a variety of electronic devices are designed in views of convenience and user-friendliness. For helping the user well operate the electronic devices, the electronic devices are gradually developed in views of humanization. The widely-used electronic devices include for example notebook computers, mobile phones, satellite navigation devices, or the like. Recently, the storage capacity and the processor's computing performance for these electronic devices are largely enhanced, and thus their functions become more powerful and complicated. For efficiently operating an electronic device, a touchpad is used as an input device of the electronic device for controlling operations of the electronic device.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a conventional notebook computer with a touchpad assembly. As shown in FIG. 1, the touchpad assembly 1 is installed on a casing 21 of the notebook computer 2. Moreover, at least a portion of the touchpad assembly 1 is exposed outside so as to be touched by the user's finger. Consequently, the user may operate the touchpad assembly 1 to control the notebook computer 2. For example, in case that the user's finger is placed on the touchpad assembly 1 and slid on the touchpad assembly 1, a cursor 23 shown on a display screen 22 of the notebook computer 2 is correspondingly moved. Moreover, in case that the touchpad assembly 1 is pressed down by the user's finger, the notebook computer 2 executes a specified function. The use of the touchpad assembly 1 can implement some functions in replace of the conventional mouse. In other words, the user may operate the notebook computer 2 through the touchpad assembly 1 without the need of additionally carrying or installing the mouse.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the touchpad assembly as shown in FIG. 1, in which the touchpad assembly is not pressed down. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the touchpad assembly as shown in FIG. 1, in which the touchpad assembly is pressed down. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a fixing frame 24 is concavely formed in the casing 21 of the notebook computer 2. A flexible structure 241 and a contacting part 242 are respectively protruded from two opposite sides of an inner wall of the fixing frame 24. A first end 11 of the touchpad assembly 1 is connected with the flexible structure 241. Consequently, a second end 12 of the touchpad assembly 1 may be swung relative to the contacting part 242 by using the flexible structure 241 as a fulcrum. Moreover, the touchpad assembly 1 further comprises a switch element 13. The switch element 13 is located under the second end 12 of the touchpad assembly 1 and aligned with the contacting part 242.
While the touchpad assembly 1 is pressed down by the user, the second end 12 of the touchpad assembly 1 is swung downwardly relative to the contacting part 242 by using the flexible structure 241 as a fulcrum. When the switch element 13 of the touchpad assembly 1 is pushed by the contacting part 242 of the fixing frame 24, the switch element is triggered. Consequently, a command signal is issued to the notebook computer 2. When the touchpad assembly 1 is no longer pressed down by the user, the second end 12 of the touchpad assembly 1 is swung upwardly relative to the contacting part 242 in response to the elastic force of the switch element 13 and the elastic force of the flexible structure 241. Consequently, the touchpad assembly 1 is returned to its original position.
However, the conventional touchpad assembly 1 still has some drawbacks. For example, when the touchpad assembly 1 is not pressed down (i.e., in an initial status), a distance L1 between the second end 12 of the touchpad assembly 1 and the contacting part 242 cannot be kept constant easily. Consequently, when the touchpad assembly 1 is not pressed down (i.e., in the initial status), the touchpad assembly 1 is readily ascended above the fixing frame 24 or descended below the fixing frame 24 or even the touchpad assembly 1 is inclined and not in the horizontal status.
For solving the above drawbacks, it is necessary to additionally install a positioning element (not shown) on the fixing frame 24 and the touchpad assembly 1 so as to position the touchpad assembly 1. For example, the technologies of additionally installing the positioning element are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,118,345 and 8,441,450. Since the additional positioning element increases the process complexities of the notebook computer 2 and the touchpad assembly 1, the difficulty of installing the touchpad assembly 1 on the notebook computer 2 also increases. Therefore, it is important to improve the convenience of installing the touchpad assembly 1 on the notebook computer 2 and increase the positioning reliability of the touchpad assembly 1.
Please refer to FIG. 1 again. As shown in FIG. 1, a region A and a region B are respectively located at two corners of the second end 12 of the touchpad assembly 1. Consequently, an additional drawback of the touchpad assembly 1 occurs. Take the notebook computer 2 and the structure of the touchpad assembly 1 for example. When one of the region A and the region B is pressed down, the difference between the downward displacement of the region A and the downward displacement of the region B is very large. The user prefers that the downward displacement of the region A and the downward displacement of the region B are substantially equal when one of the region A and the region B is pressed down.
In other words, the conventional touchpad assembly and the electronic computing device with the touchpad assembly need to be further improved.